US national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann has spoken about the need to develop the Under-23 squad ahead of the 2016 Olympic tournament in Rio, and it appears those plans are well under way.
The U-23s will have a training camp in Brazil next month, as well as a match against Brazil's U-23s on Oct. 13 in Brasilia, US Soccer announced on Monday. US Soccer also noted that the roster for the camp will be announced in the "coming days."
“We are absolutely thrilled with the invitation from the Brazilian Federation to play against their U-23 National Team,” said US Klinsmann in the article. “We have emphasized the need for this group to be together as much as possible, and to play against one of the best teams in the world will be a great benchmark for our players.
"They also get a chance to play in Brasilia, which is one of the host venues for the 2016 Olympics, and for many it will be a first taste of what the environment would be like for the tournament. We couldn’t ask for a better opportunity.”
It will be the latest training camp for the group, following one in August held in the Bahamas, capped off with a 5-1 win over the Caribbean nation's first team. MLS players Luis Gil (Real Salt Lake) and Omar Salgado (Vancouver Whitecaps) scored in that game, while Benji Joya (Chicago Fire) notched an assist.
The test against Brazil's U-23s should be considerably harder, however. Brazil's Olympic squad won the silver medal in London in 2012, losing to Mexico in the final. And with the Brazilians already qualified for 2016 as the host nation, they will likely look to make the most of the friendlies they have in the meantime to develop their team.
